The invention relates generally to aircraft lighting systems. More particularly, the invention relates to anticollision lights used on aircraft exteriors.
Until recently, regulations for the airline industry required operational exterior lamps for all airborne aircraft as an anticollision safety factor. These same lights are used when aircraft are on the ground. Typically these lights are mounted on the fuselage, tail and/or wings and so on. The required illumination heretofore was 100 candela. However, the intensity requirement has now been raised to 400 candela for airborne aircraft. It is expected that although 400 candela lights are available, this brightness will be unacceptable for ground operations. Therefore, a new lighting system is needed for aircraft that will meet the airborne illumination requirements without unduly interfering with ground operations. The system should provide a self-contained unit and operate automatically if so needed to reduce tasks for the pilot or crew.